Refrigerator latch



NOV. 10, E E

REFRIGERATOR LATCH Filed July 14, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 10, 1931.

c. GESKE REFRIGERATOR LATCH Filed July 14, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 noen for a L b Q a m m a a f w 1 u Q X J H n w 2 0 2 N M q u 0 9N w 1O. 90 m M/ I 7 .25

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Patented Nov. 10, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARL GESKE, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR- TO WINTERS & CRAMPTON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OI GRANDV'ILLE, MICHIGAN,

MICHIGAN A. CORPORATION OF REFRIGERATOR LATCH Application filed July 14, 1930. Serial No. 467,798.

This invention relates to latches and is concerned with a novel and economically constructed latch made substantially in all of its parts from sheet metal, whereby it may be produced at a very low cost and at the same time have the appearance and effect of heavier cast or die cast constructions with no sacrifice of strength or durability.

The invention consists of many novel arrangements and combinations and organizations of parts together with parts novel in themselves which are used in the combination to produce a practical, durable and especially economical construction of latch adapted primarily for use on refrigerators, though in .no sense limited in application to the one place of use named. Understanding of the invention may be had from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the latch and its keeper attached, respectively, to a door and a door casing which are shown fragmentari- Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the keeper attached to the door frame.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the inner side of the latch.

Fig. 4 is an inner elevation of the latch with the base or covering plate removed.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the latch at the place where the operating handle is associated with the latch lever.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the latch substantially in the plane of the pivot for the latch lever, and

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section substantially on the plane of the pivot for the operating handle:

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawings.

The latch is adapted to be secured to the face of a door, indicated at 1, near the vertical free edge thereof. In the construction of the latch a sheet metal housing is used having a raised ortion 2 from which integral flanges 3 exten and through the upper and lower parts of which screws are passed to secure the same to the door.

Within the raised portion 2 of the housing a sheet metal member is located comprising a plate 4 disposed parallel to the upper and lower sides of the housin as indicated in Fig. 7 and from one end of which a section 5 is turned at right angles to extend outward and bear against the raised portion 2 of the housing, as shown. Wings 6, integral with the plate 4, are turned at right angles in the opposite direction toward the base plate at the inner side of said housing. A pivot pin 7 is riveted or otherwise permanently secured to the plate 4 and extends toward the base plate 8 which has an opening for the passage of a screw 9 threaded into the pivot post 7 The parts 6, previously described, are provided with projecting portions which pass through slots in thebase plate, as shown in Fligt. 3, helping to properly locate the base p a e. I

The latch lever is mounted for pivotal movement on the pivot post 7 between its ends. It is made from sheet metal and formed at its inner portion into substantial channel shape having a. web 10 which lies adjacent the inner side of the plate 4 and flanges 11 extending from the edges of the web 10. The latch lever extends outwardly through an open side of the housing and at its outer end portion is formed into cylindrical form, indicated at 12, to grip a pin shown in section in Fig. 2, at the end of which a roller 13 is mounted for engagement with the latch keeper. At the inner end of the latch lever the flanges 11 are continued in curved form, at 14, so as to join and the web 10 is cut away to provide an opening 15 through the inner end of the lever and with in the curved end portion 14 thereof.

The lever is adapted to be swung between two extreme positions, one shown in full lines and the other in dotted lines in Fig. 4. It is releasably held in either of such positions by a coiled compression spring 16 (Fig. 4) which surrounds the overlapping ends of two bearing members or plates 17 which slide past each other and at their outer ends bear against the latch lever, in a notch formed in a side thereof, and against a projection 6a on one of the wings 6 previously described; so that inthe pivotal movement of the lever from one position to the other the line of force of the spring moves across the pivotal axis of the lever and serves to retain the lever in either extreme position to which it is moved.

The handle 18 is of the drop handle type and is formed from a single piece of sheetmetal. The upper end portion 18a is of channel shape and embraces a U-shaped member 19 of heavier metal which is clinched between the sides of the channel portion 18a, as shown in Fig. 7, extending under one edge of the U-shaped member 19. The member 19 has an integral inwardly projecting arm 20 extending into the housing of the latch and formed at its free end with an inturned finger 21 which enters the opening 15 of the latch lever.

The housing is formed with an are shaped slot 22 for the passage of the arm 20 and to permit its swinging movement. A pivot rod 23, headed at its outer end, passes through the handle, the U-shaped member 19, the side of the housing and the part 5 (Fig. 7) mounting the handle for swinging outward and inward movement within the limits prescribed by the length of the slot 22.

The door jamb 24 carries a keeper which, preferably, comprises an outwardly extending post 25 with ears 26 through which screws pass for attachment. The post 25 at the side thereof adjacent the latch has a downwardly and inwardly extending curved recess 27 for reception of the roller 13 which, when the lever is in the upper dotted line position shown in Fig. 4, on closing the door, strikes against the projecting finger 28 of the keeper and swings the lever to its lower position in which it enters the recess 27 The outer end of the post 25 is also formed with an inwardly and upwardly inclined cam 29 over which the roller can ride in closing the door should the lever, for any reason, he in its lower full line position shown in Fig. 4.

The latch construction described has proved very practical and of commercial value. The parts thereof, insofar as the latch is concerned, are almost wholly of sheet metal quickly and easily formed with economy and with large quantity production. The assembly of the parts is simple and easy. The handie and the latch lever are made from sheet metal as Well as the rest of the construction.

The door is opened by grasping the drop handle 18 and pulling it outward to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 5. This has the efi'ect of turning the lever upwardly to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 4 releasing the same from the keeper recess 27 and at the same time partly opening the door by reason of the roller 13 riding against the underside of said recess. Closing the door is accomplished automatically by merely swinging the door shut. whereupon the latch lever engaging under the finger 28 is turned to lower position in which it is held by the force of the spring 16 as soon as the line of force thereof passes the axis of the pivot post 7.

The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within the scope thereof.

I claim:

1. In a latch structure, a housing, a latch bolt pivotally mounted between its ends within said housing and having a free end projecting beyond a side of the housing, spring means acting on the latch bolt for releasably holding it in either of two extreme positions to which it may be swung, an operating handle pivotally mounted at a side of the housing, and means extending from said handle through the side of the housing and engaging with the inner end of said lever, for swinging the lever,

2. A latch comprising, a housing of sheet metal, a pivot post'located within the housing, a latch lever of sheet metal formed at its inner portion into substantial channel shape having a web and flanges extending from the web, said lever having a free end portion extending through and beyond one side of the housing, said free end portion of the lever being formed into substantially cylindrical shape, and said lever at its inner end having an opening through said web thereof, a handle located adjacent and outside of the opposite side of the housing, means pivotally mounting the handle on the housing, an arm extending from the handle through said opposite side of the housing having a finger at its free end entering the opening in the Web at the inner end of said lever, and spring means acting on the lever to releasably hold it in two extreme positions, to which it may be moved.

3. A latch comprising, a sheet metal hous ing, a sheet metal latch lever pivotally mounted within the housing between its ends and having a free end portion extending through one side of the housing and having an opening at its inner end portion, a handle of sheet metal located outside of and adjacent the opposite side of the housing, a member secured within the upper end of said handle provided with an inwardly extending arm passing through the adjacent side of the housing and having its inner end operatively engaging with and passing through said opening in the lever, a pivot pin extending through said handle and into said housing, and spring means acting on the lever to yieldingly hold it in either of two extreme positions to which it is movable.

4. In a device of the type described, a metal housing, a pivot post carried within the housing, a latch lever pivotally mounted between its ends on said post and having a free end portion extending laterally through one side of the housing, a handle located at the outer side of the opposite side of the housing, means for ivotally mounting the handle on the housing, an arm extending from the handle through the adjacent side of the housing and operatively connected with the inner end of the latch lever to swing the same on moving said handle, and yielding means engaging with the latch lever for releasably holding the same in one of its extreme positions of movement.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CARL GESKE. 

